Tourists, tourists & more tourists!
Trip Start
Dec 21, 2010
1
7
13
Trip End
Jan 05, 2011
Where I stayed
Luxor, Nile River Valley, Egypt
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Once we arrived at Hatshepsut’s temple I knew it was going to be very crowded much like Karnak the previous day. The temple is an amazing and beautiful structure carved out of the mountainside. There are many cartouches and faces Hatsheputsut that have been chiseled away because of her controversy of being a female pharaoh. She was however one of the most successful pharaohs of ancient Egypt and explored in great distances bringing in new animals and plants to the region. There were scenes around the temple showing her explorations into other countries. We spent time around the different areas of the temple and then met back up with the group at a small cafe. As we walked towards the bus and through the shops we saw one shop with an "Obama" sticker and I couldn't resist taking a picture.
Our next stop was the Valley of the Kings which is the site of 64 tombs, possibly more since they are stiexcavatinging. We took a shotrolleylly ride up into the valley and our guide explained the history behind the valley and the specific tombs that we would be entering. We went into three tombs, all in the Ramses line. Each tomb was very crowded, but there were organized lines in and out of each tomb. It was difficult completelytly appreciate where you were and what you were seeing because of the crowds. We were not allowed to take any photos in the valley, inside or outside of the tombs.
After leaving the Valley of the Kings we headed back to our ferry and crossed the Nile. After docking we decided to walk around awhile and go get something to eat. We actually ended up atMcDonald'slds and I have to say it was delicious! Our table even had a view of Luxor Temple. We spent what was left of the afternoon doing some laundry in our room and watching the one English TV channel, they even showed Home Alone, ha! Later that evening we had a very adventurous cab ride to a local restaurant and had some great Egyptian dishes.
